


one kiss, one kiss (it all comes down to this)

by xavierurban



Series: JayTim Month-ish 2019 [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: Arkham - All Media Types, Detective Comics (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Batman: Arkham (Video Games) Setting, Alternate Universe - Catlad, Arkham Knight AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jason Todd is Red Robin, Jason Todd is Robin, Kidnapping, M/M, Mixed POV, Nonconsensual kissing, POV Jason Todd, POV Tim Drake, Sort Of, Tim Drake is Catlad, Tim Drake is Stray, Underage Kissing, Underage sexual activity, better safe than sorry, his parents are alive and well if a little absent, however they're both over 13 and well within 4 years of each other, i guess, i think i've played fast and loose with ages and timelines, it’s more like the main universe but with ak events??, jason and tim are only one year apart in this one, more like arkham inspired?, so they’re well within the new jersey age of consent laws, strictly speaking anyway, tim is NOT selina's ward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-26 18:18:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xavierurban/pseuds/xavierurban
Summary: 5 times Stray and Robin II kissed, and 1 time Tim Drake and Jason Todd didJayTim Week 2019: Free Week -- Stray!Tim+Arkham Verse.





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

> hello again my lovelies! we've got another chaptered one this time, and i hope you'll all enjoy it :3
> 
> the noncon kissing tag applies primarily to this first chapter, with the kiss being wielded like just another weapon in the arsenal. i feel like it's worth warning for because it's definitely a bit uncomfortable, so please be cautious if that's something that may trigger you. it gets better and more even-footed from here, i promise!
> 
> title from one kiss by sofia carson

When Stray had first shown up on the scene, about a year into his own vigilante career, Robin had been curious and, though he wouldn't admit it, tentatively hopeful. Finally, another vigilante who seemed to be around his own age and who wasn't already so loyal to Nightwing that Robin would be someone to ignore or resent. And he was with Catwoman, so surely Batman wouldn't begrudge them becoming friends?  
  
That had been before he realised Stray was just as stuck up and prissy as a real cat. It had only taken getting the cold shoulder a few times for Robin to understand that they weren't going to be friends.  
  
But, recently, it feels like things have started to change _again_, and Robin is confused. It's not like he hadn't known, objectively, that Stray was attractive, it's just that he hadn't cared.  
  
Lately, though, Stray has gone from cute to hot, and Robin thinks, sure, half of that is his own hormones going haywire, but the other half is probably from the way that Stray is taking after his mentor more and more each night, flirting and teasing until Robin thinks he's going to lose his mind.   
  
He almost wishes Stray would go back to ignoring him.  
  
He’s not really looking forward to having to deal with the other boy tonight, but he’s also resigned himself to the fact that it’s probably inevitable; he's _supposed_ to be providing backup for Batman on a robbery at the Gotham Art Gallery, but mostly B just has him on standby, keeping an eye out for any activity outside the building while he goes inside to deal with Catwoman himself. And when Mama Cat comes out to play, Robin would put his money on her bringing her kitten along for the ride.  
  
Just great.  
  
It’s been about fifteen minutes since Batman went into the gallery when Robin notices movement on the roof from his perch across the street. He focuses in on the area, scowling a little when he spots a familiar flash of black leather and reflective goggles.  
  
"Stray's here, Batman," he reports, crouching lower as he keeps an eye on the other boy, "Think he's here to help S."  
  
"Stay put," Batman growls down the line, and Robin groans.  
  
"Copy," he mutters, clicking off his comm before he grumbles, "You never let me have any fun.”  
  
He frowns to himself when Stray turns and heads towards the East Wing of the museum, because all of their Intel indicates that the item Catwoman is after is in the North Wing.  
  
"B, I think they have a second target," he reports after reactivating the comm, his eyes trailing Stray's movement, "I'm going after Stray."  
  
"Robin, wait!"  
  
Robin hesitates for a moment before he steals himself.  
  
"Sorry, B," he says before shutting off his comm once again and firing his grapple.  
  
Stray must spot him coming, because he starts picking up speed as he runs across the roof, and Robin dismounts with a flip and a forward roll that he thinks Nightwing might have been proud of if he'd seen it. (And if he didn't hate him). He wastes no time in taking off after the other boy.  
  
Robin is fast, but Stray, smaller and lighter on his feet, is faster. When he's close enough, Robin tosses a bolo, and it wraps around Stray's legs, tripping him up and taking him down hard. By the time Robin reaches him, though, he's managed to free himself and is getting back to his feet.  
  
He cracks his whip, and it wraps around Robin's wrist before he can reach for a batarang, so he turns into the coil, letting the whip wrap him up worse as he swings out with a kick to Stray's wrist. The other boy yelps, and drops the whip as he dives away and stays low.  
  
Robin quickly disentangles himself from the whip's coil and jumps out of the way to avoid Stray's low, sweeping kick aimed to knock him down.  
  
"Stand down, Stray," he growls, and the other boy laughs as he dives out of the way of the batarang Robin tosses towards him.  
  
"Not a chance, birdbrain!"  
  
He doesn't move fast enough to dodge the next projectile Robin throws his way, and Robin presses the advantage, tackling the smaller boy to the ground.  
  
They grapple against each other for a while, their strikes vicious, and Robin knows he's going to be sporting a black eye among other bruises, but he takes comfort in knowing that Stray won't be any better off.  
  
The tide turns in Stray's favour when he manages to snap a cuff around one of Robin's wrists, his surprise allowing the other boy to get him rolled over to snap the other in place with both hands behind his back.  
  
Robin snarls, even as he reaches for the lockpick in the back pouch of his utility belt.  
  
"You think this is going to stop me?" He says, fumbling a little when Stray rolls him over again, his hands now pinned beneath him by their combined weight.  
  
"It doesn't have to stop you," Stray purrs, and then he ducks in close, and Robin only has a moment to wonder what the Hell is going on before the younger boy presses their lips together. Robin freezes instantly, eyes blown wide beneath the cover of his domino, and then he hisses, trying wildly to pull back only to hit his head off the ground. He changes tactics and bites, instead, hard enough to draw blood from Stray's bottom lip and make him flinch.  
  
Stray pulls back with a frown, and reaches up to wipe away a trickle of blood with his finger.  
  
"That was rude," he says calmly, and Robin lets out a hysterical bubble of laughter that seems to still Stray for a moment, his brow creasing in what Robin might call concern in any other situation.  
  
As much as Robin wants to just lie there and calm his racing heart, he tries to use the moment to his advantage, instead, and bucks hard, hoping to dislodge the other boy, but Stray manages to bear down on him, keeping him pinned.  
  
He straightens after a moment, a grin curling his lips as he reaches up to activate his communicator.  
  
"Loud and clear, Cat," Stray says, mouth stretching into a wider grin as he looks down at Robin, "Heading for the rendezvous."  
  
He clicks of his comm, and then hums.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be too smart to fall for a cat's ploys, pretty bird," he teases as he stands, "Tweety would be ashamed."  
  
Robin snarls again as he sits and works to pick the lock on the handcuffs, but he's more angry at himself than he is at Stray. Batman is going to give him shit for falling for such an obvious distraction tactic.  
  
If Catwoman is calling Stray to rendezvous, then it means she escaped, likely because Robin himself wasn't there to act as Batman's second line of defense.  
  
He was so grounded.


	2. ii.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part two; we've got timmy's pov, this time!
> 
> there are no real warnings i can think of for this second piece, but if you feel i've missed something, please do let me know! (well, obviously the underage warning still applies, but i figure that's a given).
> 
> part three is the only one not actually finished, so fingers crossed i can get it wrapped up today and avoid any pauses to my upload schedule. see you all again soon enough!

Stray has just turned fourteen when he approaches Batman about supplementary training. Catwoman is in the Bat's good graces at the moment, and it's in his very name, he proposes, that he belongs to no singular vigilante "family," and that there is much that he can learn from the Bats that he can't from his own mentor. A wider variety of weapons and fighting styles, namely, though he's wanted to get his hands on much of their tech since he started out, too.  
  
Batman, perhaps surprisingly, concedes with minimal convincing, and it isn't long before Stray finds himself in the Batcave for his first session on acrobatics with Nightwing.  
  
There's no need for masks, plausible deniability long since abandoned between the Bats and the Cats, but Stray is under no misconceptions that these sessions _are _with the Bats and not the Waynes.  
  
It's a few weeks before Robin starts to join either Batman or Nightwing for Stray's training, the youngest Bat having successfully argued that he was the most likely to be fighting at Stray's side, and thus they needed to get used to working together.  
  
Stray certainly wouldn't say that he's put out by the development. Things have been strained since that night at the museum, all those months ago, and Stray feels guilty, now, instead of simply amused about the way Robin seems flustered and uncertain in response to his flirting. He's hoping this might help them level the playing field.  
  
Training with Robin adds a new layer of enjoyment to the sessions, not least of all because the older boy is becoming fun to tease again. Robin was right, too, of course, and Stray is pleased to find the two of them growing more in sync with each session, and the ease with which they begin to move around each other carries over into their nightlife soon enough.  
  
The two of them are sparring one afternoon, about six months into their joint training, while Batman and Nightwing go over case files over by the computer. Robin has seemed on edge since Stray arrived in the Cave, but instead of making him sloppy, it only seems to help him narrow his focus. Stray is sore, and sweaty, and just about ready to yield and call for a break when Robin manages to knock the bo staff from his hands and tackle him down onto the mats.  
  
Stray bucks, trying to dislodge him and regain the upper hand, but Robin stays planted firmly on top of him, his hands moving to hold Stray's wrists to keep him from tapping out. Robin pants, staring down at him through dark eyes, and Strays feels his mouth go dry.  
  
"Rob?" He asks warily, the silence beginning to stretch between them. He shifts his wrists slightly, testing the other teen's grip, but Robin doesn't allow him any give, and Stray forces himself to go lax beneath him.  
  
"Cat got your tongue?" He asks, lips curling with a smirk, and Robin all but snarls at him. It's enough to startle him, and his gaze darts towards Batman and Nightwing for a moment before returning to Robin.  
  
"Let me up, pretty bird," he purrs, throwing in a flutter of lashes for effect, but Robin is undeterred. He frowns, bucking his hips up again, and shivers when Robin makes a low noise from the back of his throat in response.  
  
_Oh_, he thinks.  
  
"Rob," he starts to say, but the rest of his words are lost when Robin leans down and presses a kiss to his lips. He shudders, and presses up into it as his eyes close and his mouth opens to let out a low groan.  
  
Robin takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside, exploring eagerly and thoroughly, and Strays lets him, rolling his hips again just to hear the way Robin moans into his mouth.  
  
Then, suddenly, the contact is gone, Stray's arms pinned above his head by his own volition and Robin's weight no longer keeping him down. He blinks a few times, embarrassed by how dazed he feels, and barely registers Robin's words before the older boy is walking away.  
  
"Patrol with me tonight," he'd said, "Spoiler is going to get you both killed."  
  
Stray groans, and knocks his head off of the floor beneath him as he tries to will away the semi he's sporting before Batman or Nightwing notices.  
  
_Jealous bastard_, he thinks mutinously, but he can't deny that the idea sends a thrill through him, too.


	3. iii.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry we're a day late >.>; like i mentioned, though, this was the only unfinished chapter, so it should all be smooth sailing from here for updates!
> 
> warning for this chapters are for references to kidnapping, and for underage sexual activity. as i mentioned in the tags, however, they are both within the age of consent laws for two minors in new jersey (where gotham is located).

Stray is nearly sixteen when Robin finally asks him out after close to two years of flirting, stealing kisses, and skirting around giving it a name.  
  
It's a Friday night in May, and the two of them have just finished taking down a group of drug-dealing scumbags, adrenaline running high the way it always does when they've narrowly avoided bullets and knife blades. Robin grabs him tightly around the waist, and Stray clings to him as they swing up to the roof of a nearby restaurant, a shout of exhilaration leaving him as they fly through the air.  
  
Robin clicks off his comm when they land, and Stray follows suit, grinning up at the older boy. He opens his mouth to speak, but his words are stolen before they can even form when Robin kisses him hard.  
  
Stray lets him swallow his words, pressing into the kiss himself, and it isn’t long before it grows heated. Robin’s hands running down his sides to grip at his hips makes him groan, and Stray shifts forward, pressing himself against the leg Robin has slipped between his own as he feels himself growing more aroused as the adrenaline finds a new outlet.  
  
Robin breaks the kiss, trailing his lips down to Stray’s neck, and Stray grips tightly to the shoulders of the other boy’s cape as he lets out a sharp exhale. There's definitely going to be a mark there come tomorrow.  
  
“Rob,” he murmurs, eyelashes fluttering behind his goggles as he tips his head back a little, “GCPD will be h-here any minute.”  
  
Robin chuckles, and it sends a shiver straight down his spine.  
  
“Guess you’ll just have to be quiet then, kitty-cat,” he teases, and Stray lets out a yelp as Robin reaches around to squeeze his ass.  
  
He swats at the other boy’s chest, and lets out a huff as his cheeks heat up.  
  
“Jerk,” he mutters, and Robin grins at him, clearly unrepentant, and repeats the action before letting go of Stray entirely.  
  
“Sorry, princess,” Robin says, taking a step back, and Stray glares at him for a long moment before dragging him back in.  
  
“I didn’t tell you to stop,” he mutters, rolling his eyes when Robin smirks at him, but before he can say anything else, Robin resumes his self-assigned mission and Stray has to cover his mouth with his own hand to keep from moaning too loudly when Robin deftly gets his degloved hand inside his pants and nudges his cup aside.  
  
“In that case,” Robin hums, and Stray shivers at the hint of promise in his voice, his hips bucking as Robin gets a hand around him properly and starts to stroke him into full hardness.  
  
Robin takes pity on him and his choked-off moans after only a few moments, and Stray falls into the kiss eagerly, his hips working in sharp, jerking movements as Robin continues to jerk him off. He cums with Robin’s tongue down his throat, and his hand down his pants, and his legs are honestly feeling a little bit like jelly when Robin finally lets go of his sensitive cock and breaks the kiss.  
  
He pants against the older boy’s lips, his cheeks darkening at the pleased little hum that Robin lets out as he tips his head so that their foreheads are pressed together.  
  
Robin pulls back eventually, and smirks around his own fingers as he licks his hand clean before tugging his glove back on, and Stray is pretty sure he’s going to be thinking about that the next time he gets himself off. For now, he does his best to shake it off, and averts his gaze as he carefully sets his cup back into place, grimacing at the sticky mess that’s already beginning to cool and grow uncomfortable.  
  
“I’m gonna have to turn in early to change,” he complains, and Robin chuckles, looking altogether too proud of himself.  
  
“Sorry, kitten,” he says, though he sounds far from it, and Stray can’t help but roll his eyes.  
  
Reaching out, he snags Robin by the bottom of his tunic and draws him in close for another kiss.  
  
“No, you aren’t,” he murmurs when he pulls back, and Robin smirks.  
  
“No, I’m not,” he agrees, and then steps back and reaches for his grappling gun. He seems to hesitate, for a moment, looking away before finally looking at Stray again and seemingly steeling himself.  
  
"Come see a movie with me," he finally says, and Stray feels his eyes widen in surprise, "Sunday afternoon. In- In our civvies."  
  
Stray smiles through his shock, and leans in to peck Robin on the cheek.  
  
"It's a date," he says, and Robin grins back at him hopefully before he fires his grappling line and swings off into the night.  
  
  
  
  
They never do get to have that date; the next night, Robin is captured.


	4. iv.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings this chapter are for references to torture and kidnapping, as well as for needles and what is technicality nonconsensual drug use.

It isn’t that Stray has given up on looking for Robin, just that he hadn’t been looking for him _right then_. For that reason, he is woefully unprepared when, after infiltrating Arkham on a surveillance mission for Catwoman, he overhears Scarecrow talking about Joker’s _poor little pet bird_. Breath catching in his throat, Stray remains where he is instead of venturing further into the asylum.  
  
Like Batman, he has long suspected that Robin is still alive, that Joker had faked his death, but neither of them has been able to find any concrete evidence to prove it, or even to lead them to Robin’s body, if that is truly all there is left to find.  
  
Until now.  
  
Of course he’d get their first real clue when he’s alone.  
  
Making a mental note to apologize to Catwoman later, Stray pushes his original mission from his mind, and keeps listening, a recording device running, too, just in case he misses anything.  
  
He slips back out of the asylum two hours later, and while he thinks it might be the hardest thing he’s ever done, he knows he has to. His chances of getting Robin out alone just aren’t high enough for him to take the gamble, and Joker has had him for nine months now, surely one more day isn’t going to make that much of a difference; he obviously wants Robin alive.  
  
Stray isn't really sure what to make of that.  
  
_I’m so sorry, pretty bird_, he thinks as he makes his way to his motorcycle and immediately heads to the Cave.  
  
Batman is hesitant to believe him, at least until he plays the recording he’d made. Even then, he asks Stray at least ten times if he’s absolutely _positive _that no one saw him, that this wasn’t a trap. Stray asks him if he’s really willing to take the chance that it’s _not_, and Batman seems to sag in defeat.  
  
It’s not their most well-thought-out plan, but it’s not their worst plan ever, either, and neither of them is willing to wait any longer than they absolutely have to. They end up going in the next day, before night even falls, and Agent A is ready to place the call to the GCPD the second it becomes necessary; if chaos erupts, Batman isn’t going to be able to contain it, not if they really do find Robin.  
  
And they do - find him, that is.  
  
It takes them two hours to find the false wall that leads to an old, abandoned wing of the institute; after that, it’s a matter of minutes before they find the right room.  
  
The putrid stench of blood, piss, and excrement hits Stray before his gaze actually settles on Robin, and it takes a concentrated effort for him not to be sick. Batman is unnaturally still next to him for a long moment before he flies across the floor, falling to his knees next to Robin’s battered - _broken,_ broken_, he wasn’t merely beaten, he's been _tortured - body, his hands hesitating and faltering as he flutters them around his son’s body, afraid to touch him and make things worse.  
  
Finally, he reaches out to brush Robin’s hair out of his face, and the boy lets out a low moan.  
  
“Please,” he begs quietly, brokenly, his eyelids fluttering but not opening, “_Please don’t._”  
  
Stray has to bite into his own fist to keep himself from screaming. How _dare _that bastard do this, how dare he think he had the right to break Robin down like this. If he ever gets his hands on Joker or any of the others, he’s going to repay every last injury they left on Robin; it will be easy enough to steal the medical reports after Dr. Thompkins looks at him.  
  
Batman murmurs reassurances to Robin, but the boy on the ground only shakes, and whispers _‘you’re not real’ _over and over again in pained resignation until Stray finally moves to join them.  
  
“Hey, pretty bird,” he says gently, and Robin lets out a heart-wrenching sob that has tears springing to Stray’s eyes as he pulls a syringe from his belt, “It’s all going to be okay soon, Rob, I promise.” He leans down, then, and presses his lips lightly to Robin’s as he uncaps the needle and then pulls back to focus on slipping the needle into a vein. Robin tries weakly to pull away, and Batman puts his hand on his forehead and shushes him quietly as Stray depresses the plunger and then pulls the needle back out, capping it carefully and slipping it back into his belt. The sedative doesn’t take long to do its job, and Batman carefully bundles his unconscious son into his arms and stands up. He gives Stray a long look, relaying all the thanks that he can’t put into words, and Stray nods.  
  
“I’m going to stay,” he says, and nods towards the screens that are all over the walls of the room, “Find the drive the footage is being stored on. He needs a doctor.”  
  
Batman looks hesitant, even as he looks down at Robin in pain and fear.  
  
“I’ll be okay,” Stray says, forcing a smile, “I learned from some of the best.”  
  
After a few long moments, Batman nods, and, with barely a whisper of his cape, he’s there one moment and gone the next, and Stray squares his shoulders and sends a cursory glance around the room before deciding where to get started.


	5. v.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay everyone; my grandmother passed away on friday, and so i've been pretty busy with dealing with all that that entails. i'm leaving to fly home tomorrow, and won't be back until late next monday, so it's very likely that my next story (for no capes week) will be late, and it may very well cause delays for my final two works, as well. i'm really sorry about that. hopefully these last two chapters here will tide you over!
> 
> chapter warning for references to past torture and kidnapping

“What are you doing in Gotham?” A familiar voice asks from behind him, and Red Robin grins, but remains silent. After a moment, he feels the tell-tale whisper of air that means the other vigilante has moved, so he doesn’t jump when he says, much closer now, “I asked you a question.”  
  
Red Robin wets his lips, and turns to face Stray with a smirk that only grows when he sees Stray’s eyes widen behind his goggles.  
  
“Robin?” He asks, even though he knows the answer already, and Red Robin chuckles.   
  
“Hey, kitty-cat,” he says, and Stray steps closer, right up into his space, and runs his hand down the front of his leather jacket.   
  
“Trying to steal my gimmick?” He teases, and Red Robin snorts.   
  
“Why should you get to monopolize leather?” He asks, his voice far more innocent than his gaze is as it rakes slowly down Stray’s body, “Don’t worry, kitten, it still looks best on you.”   
  
Stray shudders, and presses even closer to him instinctively, and Red Robin curls an arm around his back to hold him there.   
  
“Wasn’t sure I’d see you back out here,” he admits after a while, and Red Robin sighs.   
  
“Wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it.”   
  
He noses into Stray’s hair, and takes a deep breath, taking in the scent of sweat and citrus shampoo and allowing it to comfort him.   
  
“I couldn’t be Robin anymore,” he whispers after a while, and Stray presses a kiss to his jaw before tucking his face back into his chest.   
  
“So, who are you now?” He asks, words slightly muffled, and Red Robin huffs out a fond laugh.   
  
“Red Robin,” he says, and Stray pulls back to give him an unimpressed look. Red Robin bristles a little, and then adds, “Don’t give me that look, Stray. It was B’s idea. He… He had it already, you know? Was gonna offer it to me when I turned seventeen...”   
  
Stray’s skeptical look softens, and he tucks himself back under Red Robin’s chin apologetically, allowing him to continue. He understands what Red Robin isn't saying: that he'd spent his seventeenth birthday in captivity, instead, being tortured by a madman and his friends.   
  
“I kind of redesigned the suit,” he explains, “But- I wanted to keep the name. I… B chose it. For me, you know? I inherited Robin, but this is him _ choosing _ me. Even after everything.”   
  
Stray shudders against him, and Red Robin just holds him tighter, hugging the smaller teen against himself for what feels like hours. When they finally pull apart, Stray looks up at him through glassy eyes and then leans up on his tip-toes to press a kiss to Red Robin’s lips.   
  
“I’m so glad you’re here, Red,” he murmurs when he moves back, and Red Robin smiles, a hint of Robin’s carefree childishness coming through.  
  
“You can’t get rid of me that easily, kitty-cat.”


	6. +i.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for references to past torture and kidnapping

It's a week after Red Robin's debut when Tim Drake walks up to the front door of Wayne Manor instead of Stray slipping into the Batcave. Alfred greets him with a smile, and if he's surprised to see Tim there, he doesn't show it.  
  
“Mister Drake,” he greets simply, “Please, come inside.”  
  
“Hello, Alfred,” he greets in response, stepping inside and slipping his shoes off.  
  
“Master Jason is in his room,” the older man says, and Tim would ask why Alfred assumes Jason is who he's here for, but he's long accepted that Alfred knows everything.  
  
“Thanks,” he says, hesitating at the bottom of the stairs before taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, and then adds, “Please don't interrupt us.”  
  
“As you wish, young sir,” Alfred replies easily, and Tim nods before making his way up the stairs.  
  
He knocks on Jason's door, and waits for permission before opening it and stepping inside. He closes the door behind him, and finally turns to look at the other teen. He offers a small smile, and Jason tilts his head before sitting up properly and patting the patch of mattress next to himself.  
  
“What's new, pussycat?” He asks, smirking slightly, and Tim huffs out a laugh as he joins Jason on the bed. When he doesn't actually answer, Jason's brow furrows, and he reaches out to gently touch the back of Tim's hand.  
  
“Tim?” He asks, a hint of worry starting to colour his tone, and Tim turns his hand over to hold Jason's, “You're kind of freaking me out, kitty-cat.”  
  
“I-” Tim starts, before cutting himself off. He takes a breath and then tries again, “When I thought I lost you, I… Jason, I-”  
  
Tim shudders, and Jason moves to straddle his lap, his hands both moving to cup Tim's face.  
  
“I'm right here,” Jason tells him, eyes staring straight into Tim's, “You found me, Tim. You _saved _me.”  
  
“I love you,” Tim blurts out, and then immediately freezes, his eyes going wide.  
  
Jason sucks in a sharp breath, and stares at him, just as frozen, until Tim tries to pull away, and then Jason is a blur of movement. When he settles, Tim finds himself on his back at the centre of the bed, staring up at Jason who is straddling him again. His wrists are both caught in a gentle but firm grip by Jason's hands, and there's something fragile in Jason's smile, but his eyes are bright.  
  
“I love you too, you absolute moron,” he says, and Tim feels his heart stop beating for a moment before starting back up, beating in double-time, “God, Tim, of course I love you. I've loved you since I was fifteen.”  
  
“Jay…” Tim murmurs, and his eyes are wet as he surges up to capture Jason's mouth with his own. Jason kisses him back just as fiercely, pressing him down into the mattress. Tim spreads his legs, and Jason settles between them and allows himself to spread out over Tim's body.  
  
When they finally break apart to breath, Jason noses against Tim's collarbone, and Tim frees one of his hands so he can run it through Jason's hair.  
  
“I don't want to have any regrets this time,” he whispers, “I don't want to waste this second chance.”  
  
Jason shifts against him, and Tim pointedly ignores the sniffle that he hears in an attempt to give Jason some privacy.  
  
“I thought about you all the time,” he admits eventually, his voice thick with tears, and Tim frees his other hand, too, so he can wrap his arm around Jason and then roll them over onto their sides, “Probably as much as I thought about B. I thought, if I could just see you one more time… I just wanted to be able to kiss you goodbye. Like, maybe if I could just look in your eyes, it wouldn't hurt as much to die.”  
  
“Oh, Jay,” Tim murmurs, blinking back tears of his own as he presses a kiss to the top of Jason's head, “I'm sorry it took me so long to find you, pretty bird. I'm so sorry.”  
  
“S’ok,” Jason says, sniffling as he burrows closer to Tim, “You saved me. You didn't give up on me.”  
  
“I’ll never give up on you,” Tim promises, “I love you too damn much for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for sticking this out, despite the delays! i really hope you've enjoyed this story ♥
> 
> as i mentioned before, i'm likely going to be late on the next few event prompts due to personal reasons, but i will do my best to still complete my remaining three stories, even if they're well past the end of the event.
> 
> feel free to comment below or hit me up on [tumblr](https://atasteforsuicidal.tumblr.com/) if you ever have any questions or feedback about this or any of my other works!

**Author's Note:**

> i've seen a few different sources say jason and tim are anywhere from 1-3 years apart (though i'm under the impression that tim's a bit older in the arkham universe???). for this fic, however, i'm going with one year, so the ages are as follows:
> 
> part 1: jason is fourteen, tim is thirteen  
part 2: jason is fifteen, tim fourteen  
part 3: jason is sixteen, tim is fifteen  
parts 4-6: jason is seventeen, tim is sixteen  



End file.
